Thank you for the replies, and I think the Sand Shark may be the only option for my budget. When I say I don't mind digging, I mean it. I hada 7+ foot hole in the back yard I dug, but my parents made me fill it in. I wouldn't mind finding iron really deep at all. That just means that no one will step on it inn the future!

Anyway, I will be using it (mainly) on salt beaches, and shallow water (salt, fresh, and maybe brackish if I do the chesapeake). I'm not sure I want a VLF, as I had tried the Fisher CZ something and the Excalibur when I rented them last year on a vacation to Florida, and the Fisher was unstable at its lowest sensitivity, and the Excalibur was too expensive. I would like a PI machine, mostly because I need it to ignore all or nealy all mineralization, and I want it to be pretty deep. I understand there are some great machines out there that are VLF, but most of them are WAY out of my budget. If I were to get a new detector, my parents would pay for half of it and I would pay the other half, and I get like $500 for christmas and $150 for my nearly approaching birthday. I also need to stache money for college. When I get a job, maybe in a year or two, I can get some beach machine.
Another thing about the sand shark is that it is said to compete with the Excalibur II and other high end detectors, and because of my budget, I will hope that this is true. I'm kind of nervous about buying used, because I brought a new mountain bike on craigslist after I broke the frame of my old one off a jump, and it arrived with a broken seatpost and gears. I'm especially nervous about buying used electronics, because I never know what is wrong with it before I buy. It may be fine, but it may be a dud. I don't really want to take that risk. If it is a dud or a fake, I cannot do anything myself about it, and I'm $600 in the hole.

I think if your young the PI will be fine for you, just don't get discouraged because some places in Maryland are just total waste dumps, Specially the Bay. Must say I was at Sandy Point Saturday and It could have went either way on what was needed, PI or VLF. At the Ocean you should do fine, just some spots you will learn to avoid. The main thing is not depth when it comes to beach detecting, it's knowing your machine and being able to recognize the best hunting conditions, then taking advantage of them while they are open. Good Luck....

So with beep-and-dig, what should I look for? A short repeatable signal from all sides? Should I avoid large signals?
Because most likely all I will be looking for is the jewelry, coins, and fishing stuff. While I don't mind digging deep for small stuff, WHat should I listen for before digging a signal?

I'm thinking about buying a PI machine for hunting the wet sand and shallow water(up to chest deep) of a salt water beach. I'm wondering what the opinions of everyone here are as to what PI machine is best for this application. I currently use an Excal II for the beach and it's been great, but I've heard there is a big depth advantage over the Excal when going to a PI machine. How deep can they actually get compared to the Excal? I don't mind digging a few more targets while on the beach if it gets me a few more goodies that are missed by the Excal. What's everyone's take on this? And what does anyone have experience with? Thanks for your help!

Happy Hunting!

-Nate

If your beach has a lot of trash your not going to like a PI, if not you will.....

I am getting 16-20 inches on my excals with either 15 inch WOT or SEF 12x15" Butterfly coils and I don't have to dig any iron at all ...

Just how much deeper do you really want to dig....?

On my Sovereign GT with the SEF 15x18 Butterfly coil I get over 22 inches.... Next time your at beach take a tape measure, dig a 20 inch deep hole and decide how much deeper you really want to dig....

American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

If your beach has a lot of trash your not going to like a PI, if not you will..... I am getting 16-20 inches on my excals with either 15 inch WOT or SEF 12x15" Butterfly coils and I don't have to dig any iron at all ... Just how much deeper do you really want to dig....? On my Sovereign GT with the SEF 15x18 Butterfly coil I get over 22 inches.... Next time your at beach take a tape measure, dig a 20 inch deep hole and decide how much deeper you really want to dig.... American by birth, Patriot by choice. I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

22" without digging bobby pins, screw caps, foil and all the other junk is good enough for me TH. I'll take discrimination over any extra depth any day. I can pickup targets with Excal in pp mode that I never am able to reach when out in chest deep/ waist deep water anyway.

No one I saw offered up the new Garrett ATX. I have only 30 hours with mine in the salt waters of Massachuesetts.
I got to say it is heads above my Infinium. Check out the ATX forum. I would never recommend a XYZ PI...WHY? I DO NOT OWN ONE! And I have never used one it is NOT because it is not a good machine or that I have had a bad experience with one.

Now you ask "which PI is best..." It is the one you know how to detect with and the last one that found you gold.
Each machine VLF or PI have there nitch. You just have to find the one that works best for you.

22" without digging bobby pins, screw caps, foil and all the other junk is good enough for me TH. I'll take discrimination over any extra depth any day. I can pickup targets with Excal in pp mode that I never am able to reach when out in chest deep/ waist deep water anyway.

I have the pinpoint mod on both my excals.. I hunt in pp all the time....

American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......